Who I Am
by poseysharman
Summary: Adam decides it's time to tell his grandmother about who is is. Clare decides she'll be there for him. Will his grandmother accept him? Clare/Adam Friendship!


_**Yes, another little short story. What can I say? I had no homework, and Tumblr STILL isn't working. Plus, this idea has been sitting in my head ever since I saw "My Body Is a Cage". This is pure Clare/Adam friendship, 'cause I love their friendship, and I'd rather see them like that then date. I think I actually like how this turned out, but you tell me if you like it! Oh, and random off topic thing here, but if anybody reading this also reads my Dear K.C story, be patient, I am adding another chapter, I just need to plan out what I want to do with it.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Degrassi. If I did, Chantay would not still be on the show.**_

_**ENJOY! R&R!**_

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_**Who I Am**_

"I…I'm not sure if I can still do this, Clare."

"Sure you can, Adam. You've wanted to do this for a long time, and here's your chance."

Adam Torres and Clare Edwards stood outside in front of Adam's house. It was a family dinner night at the Torres house, and that included Adam's grandmother coming over.

Adam decided that tonight would be the night he'd tell his grandmother about who he was.

"Thanks again, Clare. I don't know if I'd be able to do this right now if you weren't here to help support me."

Clare smiled, and took a hold of Adam's hand. "I'm always here for you, Adam. I knew how scared you were of telling your grandmother, and what kind of friend would I be to not help you with that?"

"What if she doesn't accept me this way?"

"I'm sure she'll love you no matter what gender you are."

"Not everybody is accepting as you are, Clare," Adam pointed out.

Clare thought for a moment. "…True. But I think your grandmother will accept you with open arms. Your mom did, your dad did, and Drew did, so why wouldn't she?"

"I hope you're right, Clare I hope you are."

"Even your mom agreed that it was time."

"Yeah, after you convinced her."

Clare smiled. She thought back to last week when Adam decided to tell her he wanted to introduce himself as Adam to his grandmother.

_It was a Thursday after school. Clare and Eli were over Adam's house doing homework (Well Clare was, the boys kept taking breaks to play their video games). _

"_I'm home," the trio heard coming from the kitchen. Mrs. Torres, or Audra as Clare and Eli called her, being on a first name basis, soon walked into view, placing her stuff down on the table. She walked into the living room, placing a kiss on Adam's head, ruffling Eli's hair, and pulling a already standing Clare into a hug. The stronger Clare and Adam's friendship grew, the more time Clare spent at his house. She soon became like the daughter Mrs. Torres badly wanted. They seemed to spend more time having "girl time" than Adam spent time with his own mom._

"_I thought you guys were coming over to do homework?" questioned Mrs. Torres._

"_We're supposed to be doing it. Too bad Eli and Adam over here keep getting distracted," said Clare, rolling her eyes._

"_Hey! We need our hourly breaks," defended Eli._

"_Hourly? More like every fifteen minutes! And these 'breaks' usually last around twenty minutes!" _

"_These breaks help us relax!" chimed in Adam._

_Mrs. Torres just shook her head. "Homework better be done before Eli and Clare leave, Adam."_

"_Yeah, yeah, mom," mumbled Adam, not really listening as he was too focused in a fighting match. _

_Mrs. Torres turned around to leave the room, but quickly yelled over her shoulder, "Oh Adam, Hun, grandma is coming over Sunday for dinner, don't forget."_

_Adam, however, didn't reply this time. Instead, he bit the inside of his mouth, with an obvious look that said he was holding something back. Clare and Eli both stared at him, expecting him to say something._

_When he didn't, Eli said, "Dude, you have to tell her. It's now or never."_

"_You don't understand how pissed she's gonna be!" said Adam._

"_Come on, Adam, you have to tell her what you're planning. Do you realize how more upset she'll be if she's surprised by you telling your grandma?" said Clare._

_Adam sighed. "I hate when you're right, Clarebear."_

"_Because I was right, I'll let the name slide. Now go tell her!"_

_Adam got up from off the floor, and turned to Clare. "Make sure he doesn't cheat." Clare shook her head, but smiled, and took Adam's place on the floor. Adam then walked into the kitchen where his mom was doing a little cleaning._

"_Hey mom…" started Adam._

"_What is it, honey?"_

"_Well, I had something to tell you…"_

_Mrs. Torres dropped her sponge. "Clare and you are dating!"_

_From the other room, you could hear Eli's laughter._

"_No, mom! Jeez! Clare and Eli are together, and those two love sick puppies probably won't be changing that anytime soon." Adam yelled the last part, knowing Eli and Clare could here them talking._

"_Well, I know that! I was just making sure!"_

_Adam rolled his eyes, but continued speaking. "No, there's something else I really want to tell you mom. I…I think I'm gonna tell grandma on Sunday…about Adam."_

_Mrs. Torres stood perfectly still, and dead quiet. The TV in the other room also went silent, meaning Eli must have paused their game to hear more clearly._

"_Why do this to me, Adam?" his mom whispered._

"_Mom, it's not too you. It's not even about you! I need to tell grandma about the real me. I'm tired of having to have to hide who I really am from her!"_

"_Do you want this family to fall apart all because you just have to tell her!" screamed Mrs. Torres._

"_Mom, our family isn't gonna fall apart all 'cause we tell grandma about who I really am!"_

"_You don't know that for a fact!"_

"_And you don't know that it will!"_

_Mrs. Torres didn't say anything only starred at her son; Adam starred right back at her, neither wanting to be the first to break eye contact._

_In the other room, Eli and Clare now sat on the couch, closer to the kitchen so that they could hear better._

"_Eli, go do something!" whispered Clare._

_Eli looked at her surprised. "What! What am I supposed to do! I doubt right now that she's going to care about what I say! Now you, Clare, she'll listen to."_

_Clare thought for a moment. "I'll be back." She got of the couch and walked slowly into the kitchen where Mrs. Torres and Adam were still silent._

"_Mrs. Torres? If you don't mind…"_

"_What is it, Clare?" asked Mrs. Torres, sighing._

"_Mrs. Torres, you don't have to listen to me if you don't want, but I just wanted to say how when Adam first told me about who he was, I accepted him right away. Now, I didn't know Adam too well, other than that he loved comics, and video games, and was the best friend of the guy I liked. But when he told me about himself, I didn't think of Adam as someone lying about their identity; I saw him as someone who was trapped somewhere he didn't belong. I saw how he had hurt himself when he was stick being Gracie, and it saddened me to see. I understand you're scared of how you're mother-in-law will react to this news, and I get it. I do. You're scared that you're perfectly wonderful family will change. But you have to think of your son, Audra. You know how much pain he is when he's stuck being Gracie, and I know you don't want to see Adam hurt himself any more than Eli or I would. If your mother-in-law is anything like Adam, or you, then I know she'll still love her grandson for who he is."_

_Clare took a deep breath after she finished her long speech. Audra seemed to be trying to hold back tears now._

"_Mom, I wouldn't risk telling her if I wasn't sure that I could keep pretending to be who I'm not," said Adam. "I know none of this is easy on you. You feel like you're losing a daughter. But, you're gaining a son. I love you, mom, I really do. I know there are some parents out there who wouldn't accept me like this, but you did. It make have take you time, yes, but you were willing to love me for who I am, and every day I am thankful that you, and dad, and even Drew were open to it." _

_Mrs. Torres took one final deep breath, before walking over and pulling her son into a tight hug. "Oh, Adam. I love you too. And, maybe you are right. Maybe grandma does finally need to meet her other grandson."_

_She pulled away from Adam, and looked at Clare. "And thank you."_

"_For what?"_

"_For taking my son the way he is." She turned her focus to the living room and yelled, "You too Eli. Thank you."_

"_Anytime ma'am!" yelled Eli back._

_Audra turned her attention back to Clare. "Clare, do you think that maybe you'd like to come over Sunday? I know Adam would like some moral support in all this, and I think that if someone his grandmother can't see him for who he is, then you'll be able to open her eyes."_

_Clare, taken back by this, was quiet for a second. Finally, her reaction kicked it. "Sure! I'd love to come!"_

"_Thanks, Clare," said Adam, pulling his friend into a hug._

Clare snapped back to reality as she realized it was time they went in.

"Ready?" asked Clare.

"Ready as I'll ever be," said Adam, looking still nervous. Clare slid her fingers into his, grabbing a hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly before she let go. Adam wore a simple pair of baggy jeans, and a baggy sweatshirt. He had no beanie on his head; however, he wore no amount of girl's clothes. He looked gender neutral.

"Ah, here's my Gracie now!" said Adam's grandmother as Adam and Clare walked in. "oh, honey, what are you wearing?"

"Clothes," said Drew, saving Adam.

"Andrew, don't be a smart ass," warned his grandmother, causing Drew to grin. She turned back to Adam and Clare. "And you must be Clare! Ah, I've heard so much about you!"

Clare reached out for Mrs. Torres senior's hand, and shook it. "Same here. It really is a pleasure to meet you!"

"My, my, what manners you have. Maybe you can teach Drew here some." Clare giggled slightly at the comment.

"Hey!" yelled Drew.

"Son, just sit down," said Mr. Torres. The family gathered around the table. Adam took a seat next to his grandmother, as Clare took a seat next to him.

Light conversation broke out then and carried itself through a lot of the meal. Adam and Drew's grandmother asked about school, and looked to learn more about Clare.

About twenty minutes later, Mrs. Torres senior finally asked Adam, "Honey, where are all those pretty shirts you have? That sweatshirt hides your wonderful figure."

The table got silent. "Uh, grandma, there was actually something I wanted to tell you…" said Adam, trailing off.

He was quiet after that, struggling how to say this right. His grandmother looked worried. "Please tell me someone didn't die," she said, half joking, half worried.

"No, no, it's not that," said Adam, sighing. "I guess there is no simple way to say this. Grandma, I…I'm not a girl okay? Well technically, I am, yes, obviously, but that's not what I mean. What I mean is, yes, I am in a girl's body, but I'm a guy between the ears. I think and act like a guy. I'm a FTM transgender. I go by Adam now, not Gracie, and I don't dress as a girl. I'm a guy, grandma. I like girls, and video games, and all that junk."

It was silent after that. His grandmother went into shock, and Adam feared he may have given her a heart attack. Clare grabbed Adam's hand from under the table, as Drew and Mr. Torres looked awkward. Mrs. Torres went to bury her face into her hands, until her mother-in-law spoke.

"So what you're telling me is that, yes you look like Gracie, but you're Adam on the inside?"

"Yes."

"So, I have two grandsons?"

Adam nodded his head, still fearing of what was going to come.

Suddenly, Mrs. Torres senior surprised everyone. She started laughing. "It's about time! I always knew deep down that I had two grandsons. Don't ask me how I knew, but I did. You never seemed like a normal girl, Grac- I mean Adam. Sorry, getting use to the new name will take some time. You never liked playing with dolls, or dressing up. You were more interested in reading, and spending time with Drew."

Adam picked his head up, a smile forming. "So this means that you still love me for who I am?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I! You're still my baby," she said, reaching over to pinch Adam's cheek. "Did all of you here already know this?" asked his grandmother suddenly.

"Yep," said Drew without thinking.

"And nobody felt like telling me until now! Tsk, tsk. Tell me, Clare, did you know?"

Clare smiled. "I did."

"And you take my grand_son_ for who he is?"

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have him any other way." She squeezed Adam's hand under the table, and he squeezed hers back, smiling.

"Well that's good! I'm glad to hear that my _Adam_ has loving, and accepting friends!"

Everyone at the table seemed to be all loosen up again. Adam finally did it. He finally was able to tell his grandmother about who he really was, and it turns out he had nothing to fear. She loved him the same, maybe even more.

"And to think, mom, you were worried," said Drew.

"Excuse me? You thought I wouldn't accept my Adam for who he was?"

"See, I was just worried-"

"Grandma, it's okay, really. Mom was just being too over protective of me," said Adam, interrupting her, smiling.

"Very well," said his grandmother. "So Clare," she continued, changing the topic, "does this mean you and Adam have-"

"Grandma, no!" exclaimed Adam.

"Adam wished he could get a girl as cute as Clare!" said Drew laughing.

"At least I could get a girl!" yelled Adam back.

"Boys," warned Mrs. Torres.

"Aw, mom chill," said Drew, grinning.

"But, no grandma, we're just friends," said Adam. "Besides, Clare here is too busy falling in love with my other best friend Eli."

"Eli? Do I get to meet him?" asked Adam's grandmother.

Adam and Clare looked at each other, trying to imagine what would happen if Adam's grandmother met Eli. They both looked at Drew, and the three started laughing.

Adam knew everything was going to be fine with his family. In fact, he knew it was going to be better. He didn't have to hide who he was anymore; his family and friends took him the way he was, and that's all Adam cared about.

**END.**

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So love or hate? Let me know! I actually enjoyed writing this a lot :3.


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